Get your tickets to a fantastic:- 'Festive Wine and Cheese Tasting..!'
Photo by Patrick Trollope

THE newly opened Barrel and Vine, on Lord Street, Southport (Nextdoor to Costa Coffee) is holding a:- "Wine and Cheese Tasting Night" on Thursday, 11 December 2025. The event is £29.95 per ticket. The ticket will open up your taste buds to wine from around the world, with some of the nicest chesses to accompany it! Pop in for tickets or go to:- Skiddle.Com, but do it quick, as they are selling fast!

What’s included?

• On arrival you get a glass of Prosecco...
   

• You get to sample 5 premium wines tasted blind..
   

• You get to sample a huge artisan cheese and charcuterie board to share per couple...
   

• Plus, have a go at:- "Beat the Boss!" A blind tasting challenge, that is a challenge to guess the wines correctly. If you guess more than the boss and win a brilliant prize!

This new venture is the latest to open in what is now known as the thriving Northern Quarter. It is now 1 of many small businesses opening up on the historic road that was the format for today's Paris, in France...

If you are taking part in the event at the Barrel and Vine, please remember proof of age will be required.

CLA comments on Chancellor's Budget

THE CLA (Country Land and Business Association) has commented on the Chancellor's budget announcement saying that it has been lobbying extensively against the UK Government's inheritance tax reforms since they were 1st announced by Rachel Reeves in the 2024 Autumn Budget, as it seriously risks undermining the future of family farming across the entire country.

Whilst the CLA continues to fight this deeply damaging policy in full, it has been working with Treasury and Defra officials in the run up to the Budget to explore what concessions Government might be willing to make.

In her 2025 Budget, Rachel Reeves announced that the £1m allowance before inheritance tax is to be paid can now be transferred between spouses, effectively doubling the allowance for married couples.

CLA President Gavin Lane said:- "This concession is the 1st public signal that the Chancellor knows her inheritance tax reforms have been a disaster. Across the country, family businesses have been reducing their investment, at an enormous cost to the economy and the British public. It is not too late for her to scrap the entire policy, and finally recognise the enormous value family owned businesses bring to the UK. The Chancellor said this was a Budget for sustainable long term growth. But it is difficult to understand what measures contained within it were designed for that purpose. Government policy continues to disincentivise investment and the country is paying the price.”

Also commenting on the Budget was CLA External Affairs Director Jonathan Roberts adding:- "Our lobbying of the Treasury went to the wire ahead of the 2025 Budget.  In doing so we have helped to secure a concession on Government's dreadful inheritance tax reforms, with the £1m allowance now being transferable between spouses. For some farmers and family business owners it is a huge step forward, for some a very small 1, for others it's no help at all; especially as around 40% of farmers are single, divorced or widowed. It is the 1st public recognition from the Treasury that reforms to Agricultural and Business Property Reliefs have been a disaster.  Farms and rural businesses have been pulling investment - and everyone in the country has paid the price, with fewer jobs, less economic activity and less tax revenue paid to the Exchequer. This concession is a start, but we will continue to chip away at APR/BPR reforms until they are reversed.”

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